Siobirama established the basic anizational structure of Konoha, the jonin corps had been a particurly unique military division.

  During a time when other ninja vilges were essentially alliances of ninja s masquerading as vilges, Tobirama, who had already fouhe Ninja Academy, uood the profound implications of this initiative and implemented corresponding measures.

  One measure ointing the most reliable Senju, Muzo, as the ag principal of the Academy. The other was the immediate formation of the jonin corps.

  The overt purpose of this anization was to effitly allocate the vilge's jonin resources. However, its deeper fun was te the gap between different ninja s and, iure, between ninja s and civilian-born jonin.

  Ially, the leader of the first jonin corps was Tobirama himself, who also served as its instructor.

  The jonin corps was desigo be a bright and open enviro, a pce to foster camaraderie among people. He believed it was the most suitable puzo.

  Although he often found Muzo's behavior frustrating, he still wanted him to live a more human life. That's why Tobirama uatingly rejected Muzo's self-reendation to join the ANBU and instead forcibly pced him in the jonin corps.

  With the panionship of children and peers, he hoped this might help Muzo develop a more banced mi.

  Tobirama guessed the process correctly but misjudged the oute.

  He hadn't anticipated that Muzo would ter throw himself into socializing with women and even drag him along for matchmaking, with one of the dates being with an Uchiha.

  In summary, the jonin corps ce where darkness was not allowed to take root. It was also the core identity of Konoha.

  The ANBU essentially served as the Hokage's enforcers, while the jonin corps represehe vilge itself.

  From Tobirama's time through Hiruzen's era, the Hokage's office strictly safeguarded this institution.

  Not a single Uchiha was allowed in the jonin corps, and the was institutionally fio the Police Force.

  Without the work and support of the jonin corps, any attempt by an Uchiha to vie for the Hokage position was a mere pipe dream.

  This exclusivity became a key foinato's reforms. His fideemmed from his overwhelming popurity in the jonin corps, where he enjoyed 100% approval.

  To the jonin, he was first and foremost their former squad leader, and only sedarily the Hokage.

  With such a solid foundation, Minato aspired to fually resolve the flict between the Uchiha and the Hokage's administration. However, at the start of his tehis vision was hard to implement.

  Following the ails i, Danzō's case, and the war with Kumo, Minato's authority as Hokage became unshakable.

  The advisory team began incorporating younger faces, and servative policies were increasingly overshadowed by the aspirations of a younger geion eager for ge.

  The two elder advisors, though unmovable in their positions, rarely opposed the Hokage's decisions ht.

  Hiruzen, who might have had the power to challenge Minato's authority, had lost i in politics after Danzō's death and instead focused on enjoying his retirement.

  Finally, the stage was set for prehensive reform.

  Uhese circumstances, Masashi's reassig unfolded naturally—he transitioned from a member of the Police Force to the jonin corps.

  It was foreseeable that Shisui, who had joihe ANBU earlier, would soon bee the sed.

  Under Minato's leadership, the ANBU was undergoing downsizing and would primarily focus on intelligehering.

  The former Root's intelligence operatives were merged into the ANBU, while its bat units were reanized into Special Operations Squads tasked with missions assigned by the Hokage and anized by the jonin corps.

  His reforms emphasized f unity, ensuring that all as carried out in the name of the vilge adhered to standard protocols, and eliminating factors that could breed mistrust among ninja.

  This was the philosophy of a Hokage who embodied benevolent governance.

  It also resonated deeply with Masashi.

  Thus, when he received Minato's dinner invitation, he happily accepted.

  Ially, Fugaku's family was also invited.

  The two families had been visiting each other more frequently, which didn't raise any eyebrows. After all, Kushina and Mikoto had been close friends siheir student days—a well-known fact.

  As faku, though he was often criticized by fans of the series, he actually had a det reputation in the vilge. Once, he had been a battlefield hero, earning respect from many rades.

  When Masashi arrived, Kushina was i cooking, while Minato, looking flustered, opehe door.

  "Ah, you're finally here. Quick, lend me a hand," he said, clearly overwhelmed. "The diapers are on the sofa—I'll grab them."

  Minato was utterly clueless about childcare.

  Baby Naruto had just peed all over him and was still squirming eically in his arms.

  Meanwhile, baby Sasuke, held by Mikoto, seemed to sense his "rival's" challenge. Not to be outdone, he began wriggling as well, exuding a vibe that said, "If you throw water, I'll throw bombs."

  Fugaku, maintaining his stoic expressioended his hand to his wife.

  "Mikoto, help Minato. I'll hold Sasuke."

  Even in casual settings like this, politiever rest, Masashi noted.

  ging his own child's diapers was ohing, but helping another man up after getting peed on?

  That wasn't behavior befitting a posed Uchiha leader.

  Masashi, Fugaku's body nguage, caught the message loud and clear.

  He had no qualms about it—after all, it was just baby pee.

  pared to his past life, where he had even delivered babies otlefield, this was nothing.

  Taking Naruto from Minato's arms, he strode to the sofa. The squirming baby tinued his eic protest as Masashi id him on the cushioned sofa, keeping one hand firmly but gently on Naruto's chest to prevent rolling. Then, he grabbed a fresh diaper and wipes from the nearby pile of supplies.

  He made quick work of the soiled diaper, lifting Naruto's legs with one hand while sliding the wet garment away with the other. Naruto giggled at the cool sensation of the wipes, his tiny legs kig with renewed vigor.

  Masashi dodged another potential spray with the skills of a veteran, smoothly sliding the fresh diaper under before seg it with two quick fasteners.

  His movements were eical, no energy wasted.

  Grab, wipe, lift, secure—each motion flowing into the like a well-rehearsed kata.

  The entire process took less than a minute.

  After depositing the soiled diaper in the disposal bin and thhly washing his hands, he returo find both Minato and Fugaku staring at him.

  "I knew Masashi would make a great husband," Mikoto said proudly, casting a g her husband.

  "Hokage-sama, how long has it been? You still seem like a plete novice," Masashi remarked, puzzled by Minato's fumbling.

  "Uh… well, you see, I've been so busy tely…" Minato scratched his head awkwardly. "How are you so skilled at this?"

  "It's just on sense," Masashi replied. "Holy, you should practice more. Even if we say men work outside the home, Kushina-neesan isly a full-time housewife. You should take on more responsibilities."

  "Dinner's ready!" Kushina's cheerful voice called from the kit.

  Hearing his wife's call, Minato snapped out of the frustration from his parenting struggles. After handing Naruto over to Mikoto, he hurried into the kit.

  "Kushina has really settled into her role," Mikoto ented, watg the couple busy i. Her eyes followed their fortable movements around each other with appreciation.

  "Definitely very domestic," Masashi nodded in agreement. "Though her skills are pretty trash."

  Mikoto burst out ughing.

  "That be improved," she said, then turo Fugaku with a gleam in her eye. "What do you think?"

  "..."

  He felt inexplicably attacked.

  Having served as both head and head of the Police Force for a long time, he was well-versed in one skill: endurance.

  Years of political maneuvering had taught him when silence was the best response.

  "Masashi, how are you feeling about being ba the vilge?"

  "Pretty good—eating, drinking, rexing. No shifts as a jonin corps leader, so I've got plenty of freedom," Masashi said.

  The current state of Konoha suited him perfectly.

  inally, this was how Konoha was supposed to be.

  "Good, as long as no oirs trouble," Fugaku nodded, his eyes briefly meeting Masashi's.

  "Alright, let's not talk about work today," Mikoto said with a smile, pying with the two little ones. "Look how well they're getting along."

  The two Uchiha men gnced over, their trained eyes automatically assessing the se before them.

  The two toddlers were having a bst, crawling around the sofa, tugging at each other's feet. Naruto's giggles filled the room while Sasuke made little grunting noises as they chased around.

  They were clearly enjoying chasing one another.

  At that moment, the kit curtain ulled aside, and Minato and Kushina came out with dishes in hand. Steam rose from the ptes.

  Minato's cooking didn't need any expnation, and Kushina, having endured years of hardship after her vilge's destru, wasn't the type to serve "devil's food."

  Despite being Konoha's "first couple," their lifestyle hadn't ged much.

  Apart from moving into a new house he Hokage offi obligatory ge for veniehey lived much like any other vilgers.

  Being Hokage meant sacrifig personal space; your life revolved around the job.

  This was true not just for Konoha, but for all Kages.

  Even Obito, in his act as Mizukage, had to meticulously fulfill his basic duties to maintain the facade. Pretending to be a Kage wasn't as easy as it looked; even if it wasn't 24/7, w long hours was standard.

  The lives of the Five Kage—arguably the pinnacle of the ninja world—could be summed up simply: First to rise, st to rest, barely time to eat, and endless work.

  This wasn't an exaggeration.

  Take Tobirama's schedule as an example: Up before dawn to wash up, ge, and tackle leftover paperwork from the previous afternoon.

  Breakfast? Just whatever's on hand, nothing fancy.

  Meticulous review of dots took hours, so by the time he was do was usually 9 a.m. Then came departmental briefings, requiring decisions on various projects.

  By the time he finished, it'd be 11 a.m.

  Lunch break? Dream on!

  A specialized meeting with ANBU leaders would take up that time.

  By the time everything ed up, it'd be 12:30 p.m., leaving him just half an hour for a quick meal and a power nap before afternoon work.

  Afternoons were for field iions—cheg administrative departments, Ninja Academy progress, and ANBU mission statuses. The day's routine wouldn't end until at least 10 p.m.

  And evehere were experiments to duct, meaning he'd ofte home around 1 a.m., entirely missing optimal sleeping hours.

  By this time, his brother, Hashirama, was already sn peacefully with his wife.

  Thus, the role of Kage was nothing short of a beast of burden.

  As dish after dish was brought to the table, Minato warmly invited everyoo dig in.

  Kushina and Mikoto, more ied in their children than the food, focused otle oheir maternal instincts outweighing any political siderations.

  Dinner leasant enough, the versation flowing naturally between domestic matters and carefully veiled observations.

  After the meal, the men and women split up to enjoy their hobbies.

  The two "children of destiny" tio eain their mothers, while the three now superfluous men ed up before being shooed out for a walk.

  Stepping outside the Hokage residehe three strolled through the bustling streets of Konoha's most vibrant district, bathed in cheerful light and lively activity.

  The sight filled Minato with genuine joy—until Masashi curiously asked, "Hokage-sama, why haven't you been w overtime these past few days?"

  Minato's face froze for a moment before f a smile. "No big deal. I had several days of leave saved up, so I'm taking them all at once."

  Impressive. Only the Hokage could approve his own vacation.

  Masashi residered his earlier judgment—perhaps being Kage did e with some perks, like writing your own time-off requests.

  Fugaku gnced between Minato and Masashi but chose to stay silent. After all, he wasn't the one in an aosition. Besides, he'd had his fair share of suents—why not let someone else take the hit for a ge?

  The three men walked in silence for a while before Minato finally broke it.

  "Masashi, I've got a question."

  "Ask away, Hokage-sama."

  "Ah, don't be so formal. Just call me by my name," Minato said, feeling unfortable with "Hokage-sama" during his off-hours. It made him feel like he was still w. "What do you know about Muzo?"

  "That's a tough one," Masashi sighed. "I guess I know a little."

  Asking me what I know about myself? That's a big question. After all, they say the hardest person to uand is yourself.

  "Our 's records on Muzo aren't very prehensive," Fugaku chimed in.

  He wasn't surprised Masashi knew of Muzo—Masashi was a regur in the library, where plenty of bckmail material on Muzo was stored.

  "I see..." Minato pondered, his steps slowing slightly. "My knowledge isn't plete either. The Third Hokage's geion would know best."

  By that time, Muzo was already the principal of the Academy.

  The only people who truly knew him were a select few.

  "Still, he was a key figure in the vilge's founding. It's no wonder his legacy attracts attention," Minato said to Masashi. "Although some people might seem overzealous, not all of them have bad iions. You have to uand, he had many admirers back then."

  Admirers? When did that happen? Did they all enjoy suffering that much?

  Masashi was shocked.

  "Just a heads-up," Minato said, clearly pleased with Masashi's stunned expression, believing his message had sunk in. "Elder Shijime has extended you an invitation."

  "Eh?"

  "She invited you to visit the Hyūga ."

  What? Shijime is still alive?! Since he hadn't heard of her during his sed life, he assumed she had long passed.

  She wouldn't sp him, would she? Oh wait, he was Masashi now. That should be fine.